


Goal

by Hekate1308



Series: The Crowley Chronicles [33]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Season/Series 13, Fix-It, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2019-04-24 13:55:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14356878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hekate1308/pseuds/Hekate1308
Summary: “Who would ever want to resurrect a demon?” Sam asks, frowning.Dean has an answer.





	Goal

“Who would ever want to resurrect a demon?” Sam asks, frowning.

Dean looks up, his pulse starting to race. “What?”

“I said, why would any of the Men of Letters wonder how to resurrect demons?”

“For information?” he suggests more calmly than he feels.

He can’t help it. Somehow this idea – resurrecting demons – or rather – resurrecting one specific –

He doesn’t enter the library in the next few weeks, but it seems like the old text is becoming to him, calling his name.

And he knows exactly why.

Sam rarely, if ever, speaks of Crowley. Dean and Cas sometimes do, when they’re alone. It’s kind of hard to ignore that the guy offed himself for them, at least when you ask Dean.

And he helped them out quite a bit over the years, as well.

But there was nothing they could do. Or so they believed.

And now this text is just there, and it tells them how to bring demons back from the Empty. How to bring Crowley back.

Almost a month after Sam first told him, Dean enters the library at night time. He walks over to where he remembers the text to be; his fingers close around the cover; and he knows without a shadow of a doubt that he’s doing this.

It doesn’t take long for him to translate the page. It seems there are three trials involved – but then, what are three trials compared to everything they have already done and lived through?

The one thing Dean checks carefully is whether there are any consequences. He has no interest in dying while rescuing Crowley – he has no interest in dying period. But it seems the Men of Letters considered anyone who tries saving a demon insane enough to live on.

Alright then.

He packs his duffle bag and leaves messages for Sam and Cas.

One, however, isn’t needed.

Cas is waiting for him in the garage. “You’re going, then.”

“Yes.”

Cas hesitates, then says, “If I could actually bless endeavours, I would bless this one.”

Dean chuckles. “An angel of the Lord blessing my rescue mission for a demon… how fitting. Listen, the text says time may pass differently in the Empty, so don’t get freaked out if I don’t call for a few days.”

Cas nods and draws him into a hug.

In the car, Dean realizes that Cas didn’t even offer to go with him.

They both know he has to do this alone.

Three trials, the paper declares, but the beginning is pretty simple. Just drive down an empty road and think about what you want to achieve.

Dean doesn’t have any trouble finding one at this time of the night in the middle of Kansas. He stops and pulls the potion he needs to drink to access the Empty out of his pocket.

It tastes exactly how he imagined a mixture of myrrh and lamb blood would, but he has to do it so why bitch bout it?

As he drives on, he thinks of Crowley. Cain was right – mixed feelings doesn’t even begin to cover it. He never thought he’d see the day when the demon stabbed himself for them, and yet he stood there, unable to do anything, unable even to call out.

And then Cas was dead too and nothing mattered.

But Cas came back, even if they’re not entirely sure who resurrected him this time, and ever since he showed up on their doorstep, Dean can’t help but feel that someone’s missing.

 _Family don’t end with blood._  That’s what Bobby told him, and what he told Crowley in turn.

Time to save him.

He suddenly becomes aware that the night has gotten somehow… both lighter and darker at the same time. It reminds him of the twilight in Purgatory.

Seems like the first trial’s about to begin.

He takes his gun, but leaves everything else in the car. Better to travel light.

From what he’s read, the instructions about the first trial boil down to “Don’t turn around.”

He soon learns why.

He’s not made it far when he hears Sam call out, “Dean, what are you doing?”

He almost turns around automatically, but only almost.

The next voice is Cas’. “Dean, we both know that what you are doing is pointless and dangerous –“

Only that Cas, their Cas, knows very well that this isn’t pointless, quite the opposite actually. The Empty will have to do more than that to scare Dean away.

And then it gets worse.

Almost every friend and family member he’s ever lost shows up to berate him for trying to save a demon when he couldn’t help them, and he grits his teeth and soldiers on.

Charlie is screaming at him how he’s trying to rescue a “vile creature” when he wouldn’t raise a finger to –

And then it stops.

Dean takes a deep breath. First trial over, it seems.

Two to go.

The second trial begins as the world keep getting darker and darker around him. He can barely see his surroundings now, but that doesn’t bother him all that much.

No, his problem is that suddenly, Billie’s standing in front of him. “Hello, Dean.”

“Billie? I’m not dead.”

“No, you’re not, but you’re trespassing” she drawls. “And all for one demon?”

Dean shrugs. “Saturday night, was bored. You know how it is.”

“Oh yes, I know how it is. But here is the thing. Breaking into Heaven or Hell is one thing, vut now playing around with the Empty too…” She leans towards him. “I don’t want you anywhere near the Empty until it is your time. So here is my offer. Pick anyone you want to see alive again – anyone. And I’ll bring them back this very instant. Anyone but Crowley.”

Dean’s heart starts beating faster. Where does he even begin? Bobby? Charlie? Kevin? What about –

And then he realizes and shakes his head. “Nah. I came here for a specific reason. And it wouldn’t work anyway, would it?”

She smiles. “Dean Winchester, you are much cleverer than everyone says.”

She vanishes and Dean moves on.

It’s pitch black, now.

And suddenly, there’s Crowley waiting for him.

Well… what looks like Crowley, at least.

Dean bursts into laughter. “Really? That was supposed to be the third trial? I can tell you’re not him. I always can, when it comes to…” he trails off.

The Crowley doppelganger shakes his head. “Oh no. This will be much more difficult.”

“Bring it on. I’m kind of ion a schedule, you know, don’t want my brother to worry about me.”

“You seem rather sure of your success” he points out.

“I’m here to get Crowley back, so that’s why I will do.”

“I have heard of you Winchesters.”

“Who hasn’t at this point?”

His eyes flash with anger. “You should show me some respect.”

“That would be Cas’ line, not Crowley’s.”

“I’m the Empty.”

“Figured as much.”

“Alright then. You are absolutely sure you want to do this?”

“Yes.”

“Fine. Then you have to answer a question, and you have to answer truthfully.”

Dean looks at him. “That’s all?”

“Yes. That’s all. One simple question. Why do you want him back?”

Only the question is everything but simple. Dean swallows. Stating the fact that he wants Crowley to return to them is easy. Being honest as to why –

Nonetheless, he begins to speak. “Hey, he was an evil bastard. Probably still will be, once I’ve got him back at the bunker. But you know what? Ever since we met him – no matter what earth-shattering crisis there was, he was there. True, sometimes they were his fault, but – even when it wasn’t, he was there to help. And somewhere in between everything, the times we saved the world, the months we spent together as demons – the point is,  _he became my friend_. And that’s the only reason I need to save him.”

The Empty looks at him. “Are you sure?”

“Yes” he replies, “I am.”

“Bollocks! You weren’t supposed to tell the truth!”

“Don’t I know it”. How often did Dean deny, even to himself, that Crowley had come to mean  _something_  to him? Not anymore. “So, if you could just give him back to me so we can be on our way, I’d be most thankful?”

“What do you think I’m trying to do?” the Empty spits. “You are annoying, all of you. But he doesn’t seem to want to wake up –“

That doesn’t sound right. Crowley just giving up and lying down?

The Empty reaches down and with a groan pulls Crowley out of the floor. “There.”

He all but shoves him into Dean’s arms. “And now I hope you people will leave me alone.”

“We’ll do our best. Come on, Crowley” Dean says, dragging him away. “Don’t turn around. The Men of Letters said so.”

He has no idea if it’s an Orpheus and Eurydice thing (and frankly, that would be a bit… odd, considering), still he keeps his hand firmly on Crowley’s shoulder as they walk.

By the time they reach the car, the night has returned to normal and Crowley looks like his usual self. Apart from the whole being silent thing. Seriously, not a single sarcastic comment?

“Get in” Dean says, opening the driver’s door for himself.

Crowley does.

And once they are on the road, he finally, finally speaks. “What do you need?”

“Right now a burger and a massage. Why, you offering?”

“No” Crowley says, sounding annoyed (which Dean considers rather unfair since he went through three trials to get him back to be annoyed in the first place) “I mean, why did you bring me back? You have to want something. You always do when you call.”

“When we – Crowley this wasn’t a goddamn phone call. It was a resurrection, so take it for what it is. With the demons still being rather angry whenever your name is mentioned, you better stay in the bunker for the foreseeable future, and then we –“

He is interrupted by Crowley suddenly laughing, loudly and slightly maniacally, and it just goes on. He’s wondering if he should stop the car when it ceases as abruptly as it began.

“I was the King of Hell once, you know. You can tell me.”

“Tell you what?”

“The truth.”

“That is the truth” Dean says, now slightly irritated. But even that – being irritated by Crowley again – is familiar and comforting now, in a way.

“You brought me back. Just like that.”

“Yes.”

“Because you wanted to.”

“Exactly.”

Crowley is silent again. Eventually, after a few minutes, he says, “No one ever did that.”

“What?” Dean is busy searching for a good rock station.

“No one ever came for me simply because they wanted to.”

Dean looks at him, but he’s staring out the window. “Yeah, well –“

“And you punched me the last time we saw each other, too.”

“It wasn’t quite the last time” he tells him, but his joke falls flat. He winces. “Look, I’m sorry, alright? I was somewhat upset. Not without a reason, may I add.”

“I guess” Crowley acquiesces.

Another pause.

Eventually, he begins, “You said I could stay at the bunker.”

“I thought it’d be the safest place to be. But really, it’s up to you.”

“I think I’d like that.”

“Good. Give you a chance to get your bearings. It’s not easy suddenly being resurrected.”

“I suppose you would know all about that.”

The arrive at the bunker and Dean drives into the garage. Right before they get out of the car, he says, “Crowley?”

For the first time he looks directly at him.

Dean grins. “Good to have you back.”

It’s a weird sight, Crowley genuinely smiling, but he thinks he could get used to it.

Sam jumps up when he enters the living room. “Dean! You have been gone a week! Your note practically told me nothing, and Cas wouldn’t say anything either! What is going –“

He stops when he sees Crowley.

Dean grins. “Sammy, sit back down. This might take a while to explain.”


End file.
